HIGH NOON
Nora Roberts
Putnam
Romantic Suspense
ISBN-10: 0399154345
ISBN-13: 9780399154348

HIGH NOON --- a most appropriate description of the career of Nora Roberts, who remains at the peak of her craft. She is one of the hottest romantic suspense writers of all time; each of her novels is eagerly anticipated and never fail to climb repeatedly to the top ten on the New York Times bestseller list. Her latest novel keeps readers hot on the trail of a fierce opponent out to make Lieutenant Phoebe MacNamara pay for the death of his fiancé.

The backdrop of sultry Savannah, Georgia --- with its quirky inhabitants, stately old homes, two sexy characters and multiple hostage scenes --- keeps the theme of HIGH NOON hot, hot, hot. When sexy redhead Phoebe MacNamara arrives on the scene of a man threatening to jump from the roof of a bar, Duncan Swift gets lucky for the second time in his life. The first time he got lucky, he won $138 million on a lottery ticket. Duncan seeks Phoebe out and convinces her to have a drink with him --- at one of his sports bars, of course. Before the night is over, he is taking her home in his "gleaming white Porsche" and using his killer blue eyes and sex appeal to convince her to go out with him again. This is just the beginning of Duncan's persistent quest for Phoebe. The pure fantasy of what millionaire toy will be revealed next and what irresistible male trait he possesses adds sizzle to the budding romance.

The countless hostage negotiation scenes and gruesome outcomes in HIGH NOON meant nothing to me as a diehard Nora Roberts fan. They were part of a plot, a method of creating a strong female character, a Quantico-trained former FBI agent who prevents death to the best of her abilities. What appeals to me as an avid reader of romantic suspense is the chemistry between her characters and their journey to love. What is the magnetism between the characters that draw them together? Is it the casual appeal of a millionaire who can "make a hell of a martini"? Is it the attraction of the luxurious, expensive toys money can buy --- a grand house on an island, a sailboat and a champagne lifestyle? Or is it the fact that Duncan has a sense of humor and is complimentary, patient and supportive, and that his love surrounds Phoebe?

What kind of woman asks a millionaire to marry her? Phoebe's life is complicated; she herself is a victim of a hostage situation and carries the scars of fear. Her lovable mother Essie is still so traumatized by the incident that she is an agoraphobic who hasn't left the house in 10 years and she has a seven-year-old daughter whose father deserted them. We are skillfully led to realize that a woman in love is strengthened by that love and acts upon it; she follows her heart. Wild rides in Duncan's Porsche to a crime scene escalate the plot to encompass unusual imagery, and liaisons in the moonlight intensify the romantic indulgence.

HIGH NOON is also about relationships that change us. Duncan too has scars from his past but surrounds himself with friends who make him happy. The repartee between Duncan and his best friend's wife keeps the book light in between unraveling the mysterious threats to Phoebe's life. "Dump him (her husband). I'll buy you Fiji." Phoebe's mentor Dave is the negotiator who saved her family from a brutal ending. He remains a stalwart part of the women's lives. Moments, surprise encounters, tragedy and friends draw people together in mysterious ways.

Roberts has the reader believing in love at first sight, love at high noon and "love without even looking for a handhold." What is best about HIGH NOON? Winning the lottery or winning the heart of a sexy redhead? Winning both, of course!

   --- Reviewed by Hillary Wagy

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